2-car accident sends

August 29, 2001

one person to hospital

Gaylord City Police

* Gaylord City Police responded at 8:20 a.m. Monday to a two-car accident on South Otsego Avenue in front of Mama Leone's restaurant.

According to police, Phyllis Desprez of Frederic was northbound on South Otsego in a 1997 Chrysler LHS when Peter Garritano, 80, of Gaylord driving a 1997 Chevrolet Lumina, failed to yield to Desprez's vehicle as he attempted to make a left (east) turn into the parking lot of the restaurant. Police report Desprez's vehicle struck the passenger side of Garritano's car as he made the turn in front of her.

Desprez was transported to Otsego Memorial Hospital by the Otsego County EMS-Rescue, where she was treated and re-leased. Garritano declined treatment by EMS although he did complain of a sore chest. He was issued a citation for failure to yield on a left turn.

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Bicyclist struck by car

* A bicyclist attempting to cross South Wisconsin was struck by a car as the vehicle made a right turn from Wisconsin onto South Otsego Avenue Monday afternoon.

Police say Daniel Miller, 44, of Gaylord, was crossing South Wisconsin while traveling north on his 15-speed Huffy bicycle around 3 p.m. when a red Ford began to make a right (south) turn onto South Otsego Avenue.

Miller told investigators he fell off his bicycle when he was struck by the passenger side of the vehicle as it made its turn. Miller alleges the driver of the Ford stopped and asked if he was all right and then left the scene after Miller informed the driver he had not been hurt.

Investigators said Miller had minor injuries consisting of a skin-ned wrist and knee and an abrasion to his right thigh. The Otsego County EMS-Rescue responded to the accident, though Miller was released at the scene.

Otsego County Sheriff's Dept.

Suspect in custody for

stealing van and moped

* Authorities reported a juvenile suspect was taken into custody Monday afternoon in conjunction with a stolen van which deputies recovered after it had been abandoned in Cheboygan County earlier that day.

The downstate youth was apprehended in Gaylord around 3 p.m. while riding a moped which was reported to have been stolen at the same time as the van.

Authorities reported the suspect had been turned over to downstate authorities pending completion of their investigation and review of the incident by the Otsego County Prosecutor's office.

Michigan State Police

Gaylord man arrested

for assault of officer

* A 31-year-old Gaylord man, who had originally been arrested for being a disorderly person early Friday morning, Aug. 24 was also arrested for assault on a police officer at the Otsego County Sheriff's Dept. after the suspect had been taken into custody.

Troopers had made a disorderly person arrest of the suspect around 3:30 a.m. Friday near the intersection of South Otsego and McCoy Road after he was observed walking in close proximity to oncoming traffic. The suspect allegedly began yelling obscenities at the officers as they attempted to question him and remove him from standing in the road, where they felt he was a danger to himself and passing motorists.

The suspect was transported to the Otsego County Jail where the alleged assault took place around 5:40 a.m. According to the officer involved in the incident, the suspect pushed and then punched him on the right side of the face as he was being directed to his holding cell.